<![CDATA[Imaginate903 - Imaginate903]]>Sat, 28 Nov 2009 19:04:13 +0700Weebly<![CDATA["Ready To Go"]]>Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:43:11 +0700http://imaginate903.weebly.com/1/post/2009/11/ready-to-go.html Thought you might enjoy this Christmas skit I wrote last week. 

“Ready to Go”  by Bruce Porter  

 

Gabriel           OK Jesus, It’s just about time to go. Oh...this is so exciting – the Son of God
 going to earth to be born as a little human baby! Unbelievable. Well, no…
of course I believe it. It’s just…well you know what I mean.


Jesus            Yes, I do Gabriel.


Gabriel         Right. Of course you do. (pause) So, have you got everything you need?
    Toothbrush, change of underwear, sandals?


Jesus            Gabriel…I’m going to arrive as a baby, with nothing except me. I’m sure my
   Father will provide everything I need when I get there.


Gabriel         Right again. Of course. (Pause - looks at his watch) OK, so, lets review the
    mission – you know, the reason why you’re going.


Jesus            Gabriel, I know.


Gabriel         Oh yea, right again – omniscient. I keep forgetting that. Sorry. Well, then
    just for my sake, can we go over the check-list?


Jesus            Sure – go ahead.


Gabriel         OK, it says here…You’re going into the world to save sinners. 

Jesus     Check


Gabriel   to save the world, not to judge it.

Jesus     Check

Gabriel   to preach good news to the poor
   

Jesus     Check

Gabriel       to proclaim freedom for the prisoners 


Jesus     Check

Gabriel       to proclaim recovery of sight for the blind 
   

Jesus     Check

Gabriel      to release the oppressed
    

Jesus     Check

Gabriel          to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor

Jesus     Check

Gabriel      You’re going so people may have life, and have it to the full.

Jesus     Check

Gabriel         And, you’re going as a light so that no one who believes in you 
    should stay in darkness.

Jesus     Check
 
Gabriel          OK, check and double check. You’re good to go. Well…speaking of light –
     there’s your ride - the star of Bethlehem.

 
Jesus            Yes, there it is.
 

Gabriel         So,  I guess I’ll see you a little later. Your Father has this assignment for me
    to take a few of the guys down to these shepherds who are “watching
    their flocks by night” to deliver a message about your arrival and sing a 
    few songs.  Anyway, you know all that.

 
Jesus            Yes…I do.


Gabriel          Right. OK. Then …You sure you’re going to be OK?

 
Jesus            Don’t worry Gabriel. I’m going to do what my Dad asked me to do and
    everything is going to work out just the way He planned.

 

 © 2009 Bruce Porter

 

 

]]><![CDATA[Where are you going for Thanksgiving?]]>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:23:09 +0700http://imaginate903.weebly.com/1/post/2009/11/where-are-you-going-for-thanksgiving.html Where are you going to have Thanksgiving this year? When I was growing up there was no question – we went to Grandma Frey’s house. Why? Because that’s where the turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy was going to be! That’s where the cranberry sauce and my aunt Ilene’s famous green Jello was going to be. That’s where my cousins I loved playing with were going to be. That’s where my uncle Don who was going to take us on our annual hike up to the Indian graveyard in the foothills next to my grandma’s house was going to be. That’s where the pumpkin and mince-meat pie was going to be.   


My grandma lived about 25 miles from our house in a little town called Woodlake. We had to drive the back country roads to get there. And, honestly, if you would have asked me how to get there when I was little, I couldn’t have told you. I just knew that my father knew the way. I just had to get in the car and let him take me there.   


How do we get to the place of thanksgiving as followers of Jesus? We have to let God take us there by following the directions He gives us in His Word. Too many times I have been clueless about my "next step" in life. But, when I've concentrated on just being the kind of person God wants me to be and doing the things I know He wants me to do, things seem to work out pretty well. And when it does - be sure to thank your maker for His good advice!


A pretty smart dude named Solomon said it this way, (my paraphrase) "Be sure to put your complete trust in what you know God want you to be and do. Don't be thinking you've got life all figured out on your own, 'cause we all know how that turns out, right? So make sure you honor God in every choice you make and everything you do." (See Proverbs 3:5-6)

JAVA TIP: 
Want a good cup of coffee? No matter what variety of coffee or method you choose to make it, don't forget the basics - fresh clean water, fresh just ground beans, right brewing temperature, and enjoy with a thankful heart. ]]><![CDATA[Smell the Coffee!]]>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:41:34 +0700http://imaginate903.weebly.com/1/post/2009/11/smell-the-coffee.htmlHave you ever gotten a whiff of a certain aroma and memories came flooding back into your mind? Its truly amazing how different smells evoke memories of a specific person, place or time in your life. For example, whenever I walk past a tobacco shop and catch the smell fresh pipe tobacco an image forms in my mind of my grandpa sitting at his desk by the window of his upstairs apartment on main street working on his stamp collection. On a little table in the corner of the living room his pipe is nestled on its little stand next to a wooden humidor filled with fresh tobacco. As I look around the room in my mind I see the collection of salt and pepper shakers my grandma kept in a black curio cabinet next to the wall. And, best of all, there’s my grandma sitting in her rocking chair gazing out the window with a slight smile on her sunlit face. There’s a dainty hanky that she always held in her left hand and a porcelain cup half filled with percolated coffee  and milk sitting on the sill.  Which, of course, reminds me of the wonderful aroma of coffee. Few things smell as good to me as fresh ground beans and coffee brewing in the morning. 

I think its pretty amazing how God wired us to have an aroma remind us of something significant. Interesting enough that Paul wrote about it in 2 Corinthians 2:15. He said, “For we (followers of Jesus) are to God the aroma of Christ.” Sounded a little weird to me a first. What? We smell like Jesus? I think what Paul was trying to get at is that when we act like Jesus, it makes God take a deep breath and say “Ahhh…now that’s good!” 

Java Tip 
Be sure to take time to smell your coffee! Did you know that one major coffee chain reintroduced the practice of grinding their whole beans on site instead of using their own pre-ground beans because they noticed a decline in coffee purchase? Experts they had employed to do some research on the matter concluded that the aroma from the grinding contributed to the aroma of the entire shop which evoked a good feeling and hence to more coffee purchases.  Ahhh…smell the coffee!


Got any smells that bring back great memories? Leave a comment and let me know!]]><![CDATA[Poopy Coffee]]>Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:26:05 +0700http://imaginate903.weebly.com/1/post/2009/10/poopy-coffee.html Even among coffee created lovers there are many different preferences of varieties of the java nectar. Manufacturers make special “blends”  they give fancy names to try to lure us into trying their coffee in hopes of us becoming avid consumers of their particular creation. One of the more interesting ones is “Kopi Luwak” – sounds fun, intriguing, mysterious, right? Can’t you imagine how others would be impressed hearing you say “I’ll have a cup of Kopi Luwak?” Way cool. That is until you figure out what it really is. Poopy coffee. Yes, you heard me right. The word “kopi” is actually just the Indonesian word for coffee. But the word Luwak refers to a small wild animal that is native to Indonesia and Vietnam. And no, this does not mean that this coffee is the favorite beverage of these furry little creatures. Here’s what it really means. The luwak is actually a cousin of the mongoose. It’s closest counterpart is the North American skunk which shares it’s wonderful ability to spray its predators with noxious odor from its scent glands. Anyway, this cute little stinker is particularly fond of ripe coffee cherries. Once they eat them, they take their normal path through the little guy’s digestive system. The amazing thing is that while the coffee beans are being digested, they are left largely unchanged until they are pooped out. Then, you guessed it, the coffee farmers collect the droppings, clean the beans, which are still green and unroasted, and ship them off to roasters.  


Research experts have determined that the process of the coffee passing through the little luwak chemically changes the bean by breaking down some of the bean’s proteins which are know to contribute to the bitterness of coffee. Another fun detail is that these little luwaks are picky eaters. You see, when coffee is usually harvested, not all the fruit will be perfectly ripe. Luwaks, however, select only the ripest fruit, which means that the end product (excuse the pun) is of consistently amazing quality.


Just what everyone needs, right? A high quality poopy coffee. Don’t worry, it is completely safe to drink. In fact, research shows that due to the thorough washing after harvesting, luwak coffee may even have a lower bacteria level than most other coffees. And, whatever the washing process misses, the roasting takes care of.


I have to admit that I’ve never tasted this supposedly smooth and best tasting coffee in the world.  Probably because it is also one of the world's most expensive coffees. But it did get me thinking, if man can figure out how to make good coffee out of luwak poop, couldn’t God make something good out something poopy that happens in our life? The bottom line (OK…sorry, couldn’t resist) is that God can make something good out of something poopy.


“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”  Romans 8:28


 Java Tip: If you’re interested in trying this rarest of all coffees, you can get a half a pound for a mere $60 or a whole pound for $80 from www.animalcoffee.com or just look up kopi luwak coffee on the internet.

]]><![CDATA[People who don’t like coffee]]>Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:53:46 +0700http://imaginate903.weebly.com/1/post/2009/10/people-who-dont-like-coffee.htmlI know a lot of people who don’t like the taste of coffee. That’s OK with me because I have this theory...since God is the one who makes our taste buds, He is the one who is responsible for why some people like the taste of some things and don’t like the taste of other things. I also believe that since God assigned me these particular taste buds, that I should not be offended if someone doesn’t care for coffee like I do.  In fact, if they drank coffee when clearly they were never intended to be a coffee drinker, they would be stealing the coffee that God intended for someone else. Because of these facts, I don’t see why some people go on and on about how bad they think coffee tastes. They should just accept the obvious – they were never intended to like it in the first place. So, they should just give it a rest. After all, they probably like the taste of broccoli or cauliflower or some other yucky tasting food that other sane people wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole. Oops….sorry. See how easy it is to degrade people who are just made a little bit different than you are? Drink what you like…and let others like what they like.  I’m just glad that everyone doesn’t like coffee – ‘cause that means more for me!


"Always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else." 
1 Thessalonians 5:15]]><![CDATA[FAIR TRADE]]>Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:20:11 +0700http://imaginate903.weebly.com/1/post/2009/10/fair-trade.htmlI have to admit that I was quite and operator when I was little. Well, con artist might be a little more accurate… OK – I was a thief. I can still clearly remember the time I talked my little sister Yvette, who was all of about four years old, into trading me her dimes for my pennies – one for one. I actually put a lot of thought into this transaction. I knew if I was going to pull this off I had to make the pennies look really good. So I found the brass cleaner my mom stored underneath the kitchen sink and an old tooth brush and polished them to a brilliant like new shine. I figured a girl would appreciate the aesthetic value of shiny brass over dull silver. My next step was be to convince my sister that of course, as every one knows, bigger is better. Which makes pennies far superior to tiny little dimes.

To my delight, my sister was an easy mark. The trade went down perfectly and I was richer for the experience. The only blemish in my otherwise perfect plan was that I didn’t figure on my big brother ratting me out to my mom. Needless to say, it wasn’t a “fair trade” as my brother aptly put it (over and over and over again) and my mom made me give back the dimes I had swindled away from my sister. And, just for good measure, she let her keep my pennies. The irony of it is that Yvette worked in a bank when she grew up!

 
"Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another…Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan (or a little kid)…Do not take advantage of a hired man who is poor and needy…Do not take advantage of each other, but fear your God….If you’ve been stealing – stop it! Now go to work and do something useful so you will have something to share with those in need…”


Leviticus 19:11;  Exodus 22:22; Deuteronomy 24:1; Leviticus 25:17; Ephesians 4:28

JAVA TIP:

When you buy your coffee, make sure you support Fair Trade.

Did you know that the United States drinks one-fifth of all the world's coffee, making it the world’s largest coffee consumer? What many Americans fail to realize is that workers in the world coffee industry are often abused, overworked and underpaid. Especially many of the small coffee farmers who receive prices for their coffee that are far less than the costs of production which forces them into a cycle of debt and poverty.

 
Buying Fair Trade Certified Coffee assures you that your coffee was purchased from the growers under fair conditions. To become Fair Trade certified, an importer must meet stringent international criteria by paying a minimum price per pound, and providing needed credit and technical assistance to farmers. Fair Trade for coffee farmers is intended to help promote community development, health, education, and environmental stewardship.

Buy Fair Trade. Don’t make me call your mom!

]]><![CDATA[javadog]]>Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:00:14 +0700http://imaginate903.weebly.com/1/post/2009/10/javadog.html
Picture
Thought you might like to see my new javadog. Of course he loves coffee - he's a good dog. 


I'm enjoying doodling and coming up with new ideas for my java art.Take a look at my java art page to see more. If you've got any ideas for me let me know!


 Be sure and check out globalneed.org for the scoop on globalneed coffee - coming soon! 
]]><![CDATA[Saucered and Blowed]]>Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:06:45 +0700http://imaginate903.weebly.com/1/post/2009/10/saucered-and-blowed.html In the old days  - long before electric coffee makers with thermostats to control the water temperature, your coffee might have been boiling hot. When someone poured themselves a steaming hot cup of java and could sense it was burn your lips off hot, country folk would pour some of their coffee into their saucer and blow on it to cool it off enough to drink it. Instead of pouring it back into their cup, they just slurped it out of the saucer. After all, why risk spilling it while pouring it back into the cup right?    


 The first time I heard the term "saucered and blowed" was when I watched the Beverly Hillbillies on TV back in the 60’s. The Clampett clan was sitting around the breakfast table and granny poured the coffee. You could tell it was steaming hot. Then Jed took his coffee cup, poured a little off into his saucer and blew on it. Just as he was getting ready to take a sip out of the saucer, Jethro stumbled into the room still half asleep. Jed kindly offered him his cup of coffee saying, “Here Jethro, take my coffee. Its already been saucered and blowed.” 

Of course, the whole premise of the show was to show how the “hillbillies” interacted with and most usually shocked the average and especially the “well-to-do” and “high society” folks in the neighborhood. It was very common on the show, like it is in real life, to see the rich making fun of the poor, the “educated” making fun of those who had a hard time reading. But what I loved about the show was how some people were able to figure out that simple people are sometimes the smartest and kindest people in the room.  Some times simple people have great ideas.   


“Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought…Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited…in humility consider others better than yourselves.” Romans 12:3 &16; Philippians 2:3
]]><![CDATA[BUZZ]]>Thu, 17 Sep 2009 05:30:44 +0700http://imaginate903.weebly.com/1/post/2009/09/buzz.html Several years ago I bought a very cool cap from a coffee shop in Seattle.  It was embroidered with a “B” on the front that stood for “Buzz,” which was also embroidered on the side of the hat. Of course, the coffee shop’s name was printed on the back too. Most people thought the “Buzz” stood for the caffeine rush you got from drinking this fine coffee. Good guess…but there is a much better story attached to it. Evidently, this coffee company had been around for quite a while and they were one of the first companies to enlist the services of a sports figure to endorse their product. They chose a baseball player whose nick-name was Buzz. He was a big league pitcher who got the name Buzz because of how he would regularly throw high inside fastballs to brush guys back from crowding the plate. Hence the name Buzz from the sound of the ball whizzing past their faces. I’m sure the buzz these guys got was quite stimulating – a real “wake-up” call. I can see why the coffee company thought “Buzz” would be the perfect pitchman for their product (pun intended).

Actually, there is some hard science to coffee giving you a buzz. Not only has it been proven to get the brain working a little better (especially in the morning), but in large doses, it can cause quite a buzz – literally. There have been a few times when I had a few too many cups and got so wired I couldn’t go to sleep! But I have heard stories about people who got so excited that their heart started pounding and they thought they are going to die. That’s not the kind of buzz that is a good buzz, if you know what I mean.

As much as I like java and yes the little buzz I get that helps me wake up in the morning, it is nothing compared to another heart-pounding  buzz – the one that I get from knowing God personally.

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.  Psalm 28:7

]]><![CDATA[I am not my coffee!]]>Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:51:50 +0700http://imaginate903.weebly.com/1/post/2009/08/i-am-not-my-coffee.htmlI think one of the greatest coffee quotes of all time is from Joe Fox in the movie You’ve Got Mail. He said, “The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee. Short, tall, light, dark, caf, decaf, low-fat, non-fat, etc. So people who don't know what the heck they're doing or who on earth they are can, for only $2.95, get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely defining sense of self.” 

It gets one thinking about how much stock we put into the aura of coffee culture. Don’t get me wrong, I love the ambiance of a good coffee joint. It almost always makes me feel just a little more hip than I probably am. Just being in a place dotted with eclectic humans sharing the common love of a good cuppa java somehow makes me feel just a little more connected; a part of a special tribe or something. It’s a good feeling. But, sometimes I do wonder if the girl taking my order just knows me as the “double short latte’” guy, since she still always has to ask me for my name. Maybe its good enough to be known as the double short latte’ guy. It’s gotta be better than being named Buford. But I’d hate to be defined just by the kind of coffee drink I prefer.

I think we’re all wired with a need to be known for much more than the stuff we drink, or eat, or do. I might gain some sense of self through these things, but ultimately what it means to be me has been revealed by God – I am His one-of-a-kind creation. He wanted me to exist and designed me to be me.  Though my looks,  hobbies, and tastes may change from time to time, it will never change the fact that I am created in God’s image to reflect His glory. I’m just glad He created me with taste buds that like coffee!
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